Let your voice be heard and be a hero to those children and teens living with autism. Grant A Gift Autism Foundation along with Shawn Stockman of the hit R&B group Boyz II Men, his wife Sharhonda, and their non-profit organization, Micah’s Voice, have come together to announce Grant A Voice, a two-month-long crowdfunding campaign. The Stockman’s son, Micah, is living with an autism diagnosis.
Designed to raise awareness for the 1 in 68 affected by autism and to raise money for both Las Vegas’ Grant a Gift Autism Foundation and the Stockman’s national foundation Micah’s Voice, the campaign will call on the public to donate and share messages on social media channels beginning Monday, Feb. 26. Donations and additional information can be found at www.GrantAVoice.org.
“As child advocate for over 30 years, I can tell you that these types of partnerships are rare, yet key in giving a voice to children in need,” said Terri Janison, CEO, Grant a Gift Autism Foundation. “We’re so happy that we can raise money for two amazing organizations providing hope to families living with autism.”
A partnership years in the making, Grant A Voice was born in what could have been considered an ordinary non-profit organization visit by an award-winning musician and his wife. However, neither Shawn and Sharhonda Stockman, nor Grant a Gift Autism Foundation are ordinary. Founding Micah’s Voice in 2013 shortly after their son, Micah, was diagnosed with autism, the Stockman family is well aware of the daily struggles of families affected by autism. After making their initial visit to Grant A Gift, they were not only impressed by the diagnosis-to-treatment approach the UNLV Medicine Ackerman Center for Autism provides, but also by the family-focused and independence-oriented programming Grant a Gift offers. From sibling social support groups to the TeenWORKS job readiness program, Grant a Gift knows that when a family member is diagnosed with autism, the whole family shares the diagnosis. Through this partnership, Grant a Gift hopes to receive additional funding to ensure that more and more kids on the 3,000+ waitlist can receive services, while funding will help with the national awareness campaign underway at Micah’s Voice.
“My wife, Sharhonda, and I know firsthand the challenges of having a child with a diagnosis of autism. Boyz II Men has a residency at the Mirage, and Sharhonda and I realized we wanted to do more than just work in Vegas,” said Shawn Stockman. “We looked to connect with a local organization and everyone we spoke to said that Grant A Gift was the best. We are excited to have Micah's Voice join them in this fundraising effort.”
ABOUT GRANT A GIFT AUTISM FOUNDATION
Founded in 2009, Grant a Gift Autism Foundation grew out of the struggle of a mom whose son, Grant, was diagnosed with autism and other neuro-developmental conditions. Grant a Gift Autism Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization helping children, youth and their families fight autism by providing diagnostic and treatment funding, support services, social skills and vocational training, transition planning, and education. For additional information, please visit www.GrantAGiftFoundation.org.
ABOUT MICAH’S VOICE
Sharhonda and Shawn Stockman founded Micah’s Voice based on the core belief that each child has unique abilities and gifts to share with the world. Micah’s Voice provides hope and inspiration to families dealing with a diagnosis of autism. Through programs that provide education, awareness, support and financial assistance, for those in greatest need, Micah’s Voice empowers families and gives a voice to these special children, so that they can enjoy the best quality of life possible.
